Hooray for Mrs Leary

I'm an ex-teacher so I'm kind of an attention freak. I encouraged attention in my classes. I didn't demand it but was sensitive to it. I encouraged it. The kids who paid the most attention got a lot of my attention in my return plus they probably understood what I was talking about or demonstrating. I didn't mind kids doodling in my classes because I'm a doodler too. I understand that doodling is a combination of intuition and feeling. I'm not going to discourage that product. Often I would reward it.

Let me tell you a story about an attentive teacher who paid attention to an inattentive student.

George wasn't doing well in his second grade class which means that he was having trouble with reading. The bluebirds were getting all the attention. George didn't like school. He thought he was "dumb".

George slipped into a habit of doodling. He was always afraid that he would get caught by his teacher. Sure enough one afternoon his teacher decided to challenge youg George on his attentiveness. She knew that he was doodling. George knew he was busted. He tried to slip his doodle into his desk but it was too late. The teacher demanded that George show her what he had been doing. Let's call the teacher Mrs. Leary.

George felt afraid and humiliated but being a good boy, he dutifully handed the doodle to Mrs. Leary. 

Mrs. Leary took the doodle from George. She brought it to the front of the class and asked George to explain what he had drawn. The doodle was full of "cowboys and Indians". George felt his humilation slipping away being replaced by a new feeling...a feeling of confidence. George explained his story to the class. Everybody in the class paid attention to what George was saying, most of all Mrs. Leary.

The story was very imaginative and the images in the doodle matched the story perfectly. At the conclusion of his story, the entire class applauded as did Mrs. Leary.

Mrs. Leary said "George, every Tuesday afternoon, I m going to let you draw your doodle on the blackboard and you can describe your doodle to us with another story but only if you pay closer attention during the rest of the week. Is that a deal?

George said "Yes, Mrs. Leary."

George paid closer attention during the week and made great progress in his reading which added to his confidence. Every Tuesday he went to the board and drew a story. He became a top student and a popular kid. Everybody looked forward to Tuesday afternoons.

George's last name was/is Lucas

George has since claimed that if he had been humiliated that day "everything might have turned out different. Everything."

Where would we be without Star Wars?

Where would we be without the great teachers Yoda and Obi Wan?

Where would we be without the Force.

Where would we be without Industrial Light and Magic.

Where would we be without great teachers like Mrs. Leary and the force and the light and the magic that they bring.

Hooray for Mrs. Leary and for attentive, kind teachers everywhere.